Safety system for electrostimulation device

ABSTRACT

A housing for an electrostimulation device comprising a charger plug and a stimulation plug, designed to receive respectively a connector linked to a charger and a connector linked to a stimulation electrode, characterized in that it comprises a mobile locking element designed to alternately lock the charger plug or the stimulation plug.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/585,796, filed Jul. 23, 2008, and issued Dec. 18, 2012, as U.S. Pat.No. 8,335,566, which claims priority to PCT Application No.PCT/IB2005/050048 filed Jan. 5, 2005, and Swiss Patent Application No.0040/04 filed Jan. 12, 2004, each of which is hereby incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of electrostimulationdevices, in particular muscular electrostimulation devices.

More specifically, it relates to those electrostimulation devices thatcomprise a housing provided with at least one charger plug and onestimulation plug.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

A number of styles of housings for electrostimulation devices arepresented on the web site of the applicant (www.compex.info).

Normally, a housing for an electrostimulation device comprises a chargerplug and a number of stimulation plugs designed to respectively receivea connector linked to an external charger and a number of connectorslinked to stimulation electrodes.

The housing comprises an accumulator battery that is chargeable bydirect current via the charger plug.

The electrostimulation is produced by means of electrodes applied to theskin of the user.

The stimulation current is limited to a few tens of milliamps (normally120 mA maximum for a pulsed current).

A major risk is run by the user when the housing is linked both to themains through the charger and to the user through the electrodes. Inthis configuration, if a fault were to occur in the external charger(insulation fault, component fault, etc.), the user could be directlylinked to the mains voltage, which represents a mortal hazard. Inpractice, a link with the mains can provoke a cardiac fibrillation, afainting fit, burns, pains, etc.

The housing disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,001 offers a solution tothis problem. It comprises a single plug that can operate alternately asa charger plug or a stimulation plug.

This solution does, however, present a number of drawbacks: it is notsuited to housings that include a number of stimulation plugs and,furthermore, producing the dual-function plug is relatively complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One objective of the invention is to increase the safety of theelectrostimulation devices.

Another objective is to also offer a high level of safety for housingsthat include a number of stimulation plugs.

These objectives are achieved with a housing for an electrostimulationdevice that comprises a charger plug and a stimulation plug, designed toreceive respectively a connector linked to a charger and a connectorlinked to stimulation electrodes. The housing according to the inventionis characterized in that it also comprises a mobile locking elementdesigned to alternately lock the charger plug or the stimulation plug.

The presence of the mobile locking element makes either the charger plugor the stimulation plug(s) available. The simultaneous availability ofboth types of plug is then impossible.

Particularly advantageous embodiments include a housing for anelectrostimulation device that has a charger plug and a stimulationplug. The housing includes a mobile locking element that is designed toalternately lock the charger plug or stimulation plug. In anotherimplementation, the mobile locking element presents an inclined surfaceinside the charger plug. Insertion of a connector into the charger plugexerts a force to displace the mobile locking element to lock thestimulation plug. In another implementation, the mobile locking elementpresents an inclined surface inside the stimulation plug. Insertion of aconnector into the charger plug exerts a force to displace the mobilelocking element to lock the charger plug. In another implementation, thecharger plug and the stimulation plug are located on two opposite sidesof the housing. The mobile locking element follows a curvilinear path.In another implementation the mobile locking element may include athrust element which be activated by a user to release a plug.

Moving the mobile element from one position to the other can be doneeither manually, for example using a thrust element that the user moves,or as a consequence of inserting a connector into the plug that isblocked. In the latter case, the locking element comprises an inclinedsurface that is made apparent in the plug. When the connector isinserted into the plug, a force is exerted on the inclined surface,which causes the locking element to be displaced.

The invention will be better understood from reading the detaileddescription that follows and examining the appended drawings whichrepresent, by way of nonlimiting example, an embodiment of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 presents a first embodiment of the invention with stimulationplugs available.

FIG. 2 presents the housing of FIG. 1 with a charger plug available.

FIG. 3 diagrammatically presents a locking principle according to theinvention with stimulation plugs available.

FIG. 4 presents the object of FIG. 3 with a charger plug available.

FIG. 5 presents a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 presents a third embodiment of the invention with a stimulationplug available.

FIG. 7 presents the object of FIG. 6 with a charger plug available.

FIG. 8 presents a third embodiment of the invention with stimulationplugs available.

FIG. 9 presents the object of FIG. 8 with a charger plug available.

FIG. 10 presents a fourth embodiment of the invention with stimulationplugs available.

FIG. 11 presents the object of FIG. 10 with a charger plug available.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the various FIGS. 1-11, illustrated are a housing 1, a charger plug2, a stimulation plug 3, a mobile locking element 4, a locking elementof the charger plug 5, a locking element of the stimulation plug 6, athrust element 7, and an inclined surface 8.

The housing 1 represented in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a charger plug 2and four stimulation plugs (each indicated by reference numeral 3).

FIGS. 3 and 4 diagrammatically represent in particular the designillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The housing 1 comprises two mobile lockingelements 4 a and 4 b in strip form, which can be displaced in adirection parallel to the line passing through the plugs 2, 3. Each ofstrips 4 a and 4 b comprises a series of teeth 6 designed to lock thestimulation plugs 3. The end of each strip 4 a and 4 b which culminatesin the charger plug 2 comprises an inclined surface 8. When the chargerconnector is inserted into the corresponding plug 2, a force is exertedon the inclined surface 8, which drives the strips towards thestimulation plugs 3, simultaneously locking their access.

Preferably, springs (not shown) are associated with the locking strips 4a and 4 b. They are located so as to return the locking strips 4 a and 4b when all the connectors are removed from the housing 1.

The locking elements 6 can take the form of teeth, as indicatedpreviously. Alternatively, the locking strip 4 can include orifices (notshown) through which the plugs can pass. In this case, the lockingelements are formed by the strip elements that are located between theorifices.

The embodiment diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 5 comprises alocking rod 4 which pivots about its main axis. The locking elements 6are angularly separated by 90° so that the charger 2 and stimulationplugs 3 are alternately locked.

The embodiment of FIG. 6 also presents a locking rod 4 that pivots, butin a direction perpendicular to the main axis of the rod. In theembodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9, the charger plug 2 is located on a side ofthe housing 1 opposite to that where the stimulation plugs 3 arelocated. The mobile locking element 4 is formed by a semi-rigid tab,which is moved in response to the force exerted on the inclined surface8 by the charger connector.

The embodiment of FIGS. 10 and 11 presents a mobile locking element 4that is mobile in a vertical direction. In the configuration illustratedin FIG. 2, a spring (not shown) holds the mobile element 4 in a bottomposition (rest position). The upward movement of the mobile element 4 isobtained manually through the intermediary of a thrust element 7 thatthe user must push upward.

The locking element 5 of the charger plug 2 is in the form of aninverted L. Four locking elements 6 for stimulation plugs 3 are locatedalong the mobile locking element 4, perpendicular to the latter.

In the rest position (FIG. 10), the locking element of the charger plug5 blocks the charger plug 2. The stimulation plugs 3 are available andcan accommodate stimulation connectors.

If the user wants to insert the charger plug, he must first remove thestimulation connectors, push the thrust element 7 upward and insert thepower supply connector.

Once this operation is completed (FIG. 11), the stimulation plugs areblocked by the corresponding locking elements 6.

According to the variant of the invention that is not shown, the thrustelement 7 is eliminated. In this case, the locking element 5 of thecharger plug 2 comprises an inclined surface of a form and functionidentical to that described previously.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to the above-mentioned examples.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A housing for an electrostimulation system,the housing comprising: a first plug; a second plug; and a mobilelocking member configured to partially cover the first plug but not thesecond plug in a rest position and to partially cover the second plugbut not the first plug in an activated position, wherein insertion of aconnector into the first plug transitions the mobile locking member fromthe rest position to the activated position, and removal of theconnector from the first plug reverts the mobile locking member from theactivated position to the rest position.
 2. The housing of claim 1,wherein the mobile locking member is an elongate member.
 3. The housingof claim 1, wherein the mobile locking member comprises a firstprotrusion that partially covers the first plug in the rest position,and a second protrusion that partially covers the second plug in theactivated position.
 4. The housing of claim 3, wherein the secondprotrusion is disposed along a length of the mobile locking member. 5.The housing of claim 4, wherein the second protrusion is configured totranslate along a direction perpendicular to the length of the mobilelocking member.
 6. The housing of claim 4, wherein the second protrusionis configured to translate along a direction parallel to the length ofthe mobile locking member.
 7. The housing of claim 3, wherein the firstprotrusion is disposed at an end of the mobile locking member.
 8. Thehousing of claim 1, wherein the mobile locking member comprises one ormore locking elements disposed on the mobile locking member thatpartially cover the first plug in the rest position and partially coverthe second plug in the activated position.
 9. The housing of claim 8,wherein the one or more locking elements include at least one of a toothor a strip.
 10. The housing of claim 1, wherein a connector insertedinto the first plug exerts a force on an inclined surface of the mobilelocking member and displaces the mobile locking member from the restposition to the activated position.
 11. The housing of claim 10, whereinthe mobile locking member is configured to be displaced in a directionsubstantially perpendicular to the direction of the exerted force. 12.The housing of claim 10, wherein the inclined surface of the mobilelocking member is configured to receive a force exerted at an angle tothe inclined surface by the connector inserted into the first plug. 13.The housing of claim 1, wherein the mobile locking member is moveable ina direction parallel to a plane passing through the first plug and thesecond plug.
 14. The housing of claim 1, further comprising a springthat biases the mobile locking member in the rest position.
 15. Thehousing of claim 14, wherein the spring exerts a force in a directionsubstantially perpendicular to a length of the mobile locking member.16. The housing of claim 1, further comprising a pivot that affixes themobile locking member to the housing, wherein the mobile locking memberis configured to rotate from the rest position to the activated positionalong an axis of the mobile locking member that is collinear with thepivot and length of the mobile locking member.
 17. The housing of claim1, further comprising a pivot that affixes the mobile locking member tothe housing, wherein the mobile locking member is configured to rotatefrom the rest position to the activated position along an axisperpendicular to the length of the mobile locking member.
 18. Thehousing of claim 1, wherein the mobile locking member is moveable in avertical direction from the rest position to the activated position. 19.The housing of claim 1, wherein the mobile locking member comprises asemi-rigid material, and is moveable along a curvilinear path from therest position to the activated position.